Liberals can fix foreign worker mess

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program was designed to supplement the Canadian workforce in cases where the domestic labour force is unable to meet the need for specific skills that are in demand by employers, and for which there is a shortage of workers.

It is not meant to be a long-term employment substitution, nor is it meant to take jobs away from Canadians.

The Liberals have proposed a reasonable, long-term plan to curb abuses of the program, and fix this mess created by the Harper government.

We propose scaling back the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and focusing on its original purpose of filling labour shortages when there is a legitimate need. A Liberal government would also tighten the rules to ensure employers genuinely seek Canadians first. In addition to enforcing those rules, we would also impose severe penalties on violators. And, unlike the Conservatives, a Liberal government would increase the transparency of the program so Canadians can know the number of jobs in each occupation and community that are being offered to temporary foreign workers.

The truth is, the Harper government could have taken action to improve the Temporary Foreign Worker Program long ago.

Instead, since forming government, the Conservatives have shortened the time an employer had to actively search for Canadian workers before accessing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. They extended the length of time a temporary foreign worker can work in Canada.

Yet they failed to create safeguards to ensure employers were telling the truth on those applications.

The Harper government has mismanaged the Temporary Foreign Worker Program so badly they have more than doubled its intake of temporary foreign workers, admitting almost as many temporary workers to Canada as new permanent residents in 2012.

The end result has been fewer jobs for Canadian workers, the suppression of Canadian wages, and, in some cases, the exploitation of vulnerable foreign workers.

Liberals recognize it is only by fixing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will further exploitation be prevented and enhanced recruiting, training and employment opportunities for Canadians become the priority again.

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Ambrose

May 31, 2014 - 09:13

Judy, back in 2013, when the Liberals were looking for a leader for their party, six people came forwards, And Mr Murphy was one of them. But he was turn away, because of his stand against ( Fracking ) ( Foreign Worker ) taking jobs away from Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Now all of a sudden, The liberals are going to fit the problem. That like Dwight Ball telling everyone he going to improve our economy. How is the question to him? will its be anything like the people of Jackson's Arm, still waiting. Weather its provincial or Federal Liberals, nothing will change, just a deeper hole to try and crawl out off,

So, your taxdollars go to pay for a foreign worker program that supplies the nation with people who can work unskilled jobs (e.g., flip burgers). Meanwhile, this province has the highest unemployment rate in Canada.
Of course, that is not a big problem because more of your tax dollars go to an EI program for those people who cannot (or will not)work low-wage jobs. This is a joke.

Ms Foote, I can tell you many stories of our people, who was layoff to make room for foreign workers, All because its came with a benefit for the employers, and not the workers. What you trying to say, Liberals will make change, Sorry its going to be no difference with the Liberals then with the Harpers Government. Reason I'm making that statement, is because people in power don't understand what's happening outsides of their office doors. First take care of the working poor, by putting more money in their pocket, so they can raise their family with respect, and not turning to the food banks. Second start by removing some of those healthy men and women on social service, bring them into the work force, That system is very much abuse,